A Manual of the Foochow Dialect In Twenty Lessons/Lesson X

by C. M. S. and A. E. Champness

LESSON X.

着 diŏh

must

換 uâng

to exchange

角 gaé̤k

a corner, tenth of a dollar

季 gié

season

都 dŭ

all

討 tō̤

to seek for, find

替 tá̤

instead of, for

共 gâe̤ng

with, for

罪 cô̤i

sin

哘 òng

a long time

肯 kīng

to be willing

番錢 huăng-cièng

dollars

要緊 iéu-gīng

important

一落厝 siŏh-lŏ̤h chió

a house

鐵釘 tiék-dĭng

a nail

鬧熱 nâu-iĕk

stir, bustle

遲 dì

late

印 éng

a seal, to print

跬 kiê

to stand

駛 sāi

to use, employ, in order that

銀 ngṳ̀ng

silver

心 sĭng

the heart

借 cióh

to borrow, lend

信 séng

to believe

各 gáuk

every, each

贖 sṳ̆k

to atone for sin, redeem

剝 buóh

sign of future, about to

聖神 Séng-Sìng

the Holy Spirit

一橺房 siŏh-găng bùng

a room

感動 gāng-dông

to influence

得救 dáik-géu

to be saved

隴總 lūng-cūng

all, every

銅片 dè̤ng-piéng

copper cents

1. Chinese currency is in five kinds: Lump silver, usually speaken of as 銀 ngṳ̀ng; Dollars, or 番錢 huăng-cièng; Small silver coins or 番錢仔 huăng-cièng-giāng, (a ten cent piece is 一角 siŏh gáe̤k); copper cents, or 銅片 dè̤ng-piéng; copper cash or 錢 cièng. The reckoning is in decimals, usually calculated to two places. One dollar, 一塊番錢 siŏh-dó̤i huăng-cièng, literally one piece of foreign money. Half a dollar, 半塊錢 五角 buáng-dó̤i cièng or ngô gaé̤k. Twenty cents, 二角 lâng-gáe̤k. Twenty-five cents, 二角半 lâng-gaé̤k buáng. One dollar and five cents, 一塊零五分 siŏh-dó̤i lìng ngô-hŭng. One ounce of silver (tael) 一兩銀 siŏh-liōng ngṳ̀ng. Fifty tael cents, 五錢銀 ngô-cièng ngṳ̀ng. Seventy-five tael cents, 七錢五分銀 chék-cièng ngô-hŭng ngṳ̀ng. The denomination in which the amount is expressed comes last. All tenths are expressed by cièng and gáe̤k, the hŭng being reserved for hundredths.

2. One or two is expressed by 把 bā. About a dollar, 塊把錢 dó̤i-bā cièng.

3. The Future Tense is formed by the use of 剝 buóh, 就 cêu and ⿰亻鞋 â̤ before the verb. These are sometimes omitted, the context supply the sense. He will go tomorrow morning, 伊明旦早去 ĭ mìng-dáng cā kó̤. He is about to die, 伊剝死 ĭ buóh sī. He will be here soon, 伊就來 ĭ cêu lì.

5. “In order that”, “to that end”, are indicated by the use of 駛 sāi. Jesus died in order to save us, 耶穌死去駛奴各𠆧得救 Ià-Sŭ sī kó̤ sāi nù-gáuk-nè̤ng dáik-géu.

6. “For” and “instead of” are expressed in Foochow Colloquial by 替 tá̤, 共 gâe̤ng and 乞 ké̤ṳk. 乞 Ké̤ṳk also bears the meaning of “give to”. Write two characters for me, 替奴 tá̤ nù (or 共奴 gâe̤ng nù) 寫二字 siā lâng cê. Take this book and give it to him, 將者書乞伊 Ciŏng ciā cṳ̆ ké̤ṳk ĭ. 共 Gâe̤ng roughly answers to “with” understood, in such sentences as “tell him” 共伊講 gâe̤ng ĭ gōng.

7. Foreigners in Foochow should be careful to avoid the use of the phrase, ng dĭh, in declining anything offered. 伓駛 Ng sāi is the proper phrase to use, as ng dĭh carries with it the idea of throw it away!

8. The word 借 cióh carries the twofold meaning of “borrow” and “lend”, which meaning is determined by the context. He has come to borrow money, 伊來借錢 ĭ lì cióh cièng. Please lend me a dollar, 請獲一塊錢借奴 Chiāng hĕk siŏh-dó̤i cièng cióh nù.

9. 討 Tō̤ has also the twofold meaning of “seek” and “find”. I will go and look for him, 儂家去討伊 Nè̤ng-gă kó̤ tō̤ ĭ. Can you find it? 汝⿰亻鞋討的着賣 Nṳ̄ ṳ̂ tō̤-dék diŏh mâ̤? I have found it, 討着了 Tō̤-diŏh lāu.

10. The Chinese language is rich in words meaning “all” 都 dŭ has the special function of summarising all that goes before it. His friends are all here, 伊其朋友都着只塊 ĭ gì bèng-iū dŭ diŏh cŭ-úai. None of them will come, 伊各𠆧都伓肯來 ĭ gáuk-nè̤ng dŭ ng kīng lì.

11. “Each” “every” “different”, words which individualise things are expressed by 各 gáuk or by the repetition of the N. A. belonging to the noun. Each person has a Bible, 各𠆧都務聖經 Gáuk-nè̤ng dŭ ô Séng Gĭng. He has every one of his things, 件件其乇伊都務 Iông iông gì nó̤h ĭ dŭ ô. You must wash each of these articles of clothing, 者衣裳件件都着洗 Ciā ĭ-siòng iông iông dŭ diŏh sā̤.

12. 着 Diŏh placed before the verb, indicates the Imperative Mood. You must go there today, 汝今旦着去許邊 Nṳ̄ gĭng-dáng diŏh kó̤ hṳ̄-bĕng.

13. 毛世乇 Mò̤ sié-nó̤h can be used as the equivalent of “not many” “not much”. He has not much money, 伊毛世乇錢 ĭ mò̤ sié-nó̤h cièng. It is not of much importance, 毛世乇要緊 Mò̤ sié-nó̤h iéu-gīng.

14. Another expression meaning “all”, very frequently used, is lūng-cūng. This carries the meaning of “everyone”, “the whole”. The whole of these Hymnals are badly printed, 者讚美詩隴總印的平正 Ciā Cáng-mī-sĭ lūng-cūng éng-dék bàng-ciáng.

EXERCISE X.

hāu

to summon

搬 buăng

to remove

眠床 mìng-chòng

bed

舒眠床 chṳ̆ mìng-chòng

to spread the bed

益 iáh

advantage

洗身楻 sā̤-sĭng-kuòng

a bathtub

漏 lâu

to leak

學 ŏ̤h

to learn, imitate

頭髮 tàu-huók

hair on the human head

毛 mò̤

hair of animals

還 dèng

to return

熬 ngô̤

to roast; bake

Translate into English:—

1. Gáuk-nè̤ng ô gáuk-nè̤ng gì chió.
2. Ià-Sŭ tá̤ nguāi gáuk-nè̤ng sī lŏ̤h sĕk-cê-gá.
3. Lâng-ciáh nè̤ng dŭ diŏh â-dā̤.
4. Mò̤ iéu-gīng, giéu ĭ bái-nê lì.
5. Siông bái-săng cêu sê ciăng-nguŏk chĕ̤-chék.
6. Ĭ ó̤i cióh sé-dó̤i cièng. Ng tĕ̤ng cióh ke̤ṳ́k ĭ.
7. Ĭ gōng lŏ̤h chék-nguōh chĕ̤-chék nĭk â̤ dèng siŏh-dó̤i, sèk-nè-nguŏh chĕ̤-lĕ̤k dèng săng-dó̤i.
8. Kó̤-nièng-màng nè̤ng-gă ô cióh ĭ săng buōng cṳ̆. Ĭ gó muôi dèng nù.
9. Ĭ kó̤ cêng òng lāu.
10. Kī-dâe̤ng nṳ̄ tá̤ niê-giāng táung ĭ-siòng.
11. Nguāi nì gì ĭ-siòng ke̤ṳ́k sā̤-ĭ-siòng gì nè̤ng sā̤, lūng-cūng sê giŭ kó̤, dŭ ngài kó̤-lāu.
12. Ĭ ó̤i cióh tiék-dĭng, nâ kó̤-nièng-màng ĭ sū cióh gì gó muôi dèng.
13. Cī siŏh-dó̤i cièng buŏng ke̤ṳ́k ĭ gáuk-nè̤ng.
14. Lī Sĭng-săng gì giāng cêng bàng-ciáng, ng-kīng kó̤ cṳ̆-că̤.
15. Kī-dâe̤ng nṳ̄ gâe̤ng ĭ gōng nè̤ng-gă cêng gék.

Translate into Chinese:—

1. Jesus atoned for our sins.
2. I want to buy forty dollars worth of wood.
3. I will lend you this five hundred cash.
4. You must return it next week.
5. There are four seasons in the year, namely Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter.
6. In the summer time these garments must all be washed.
7. My horse has short hair, but my hair is long.
8. The dollar only changes at 1050 cash.
9. When you have finished writing your letter, please return my pen and ink.
10. Please bring the matches and light the lamp.
11. The bread must be baked this morning. I have four guests coming to dinner.
12. The girls’ school is higher up, this is a boy’s school.
13. Tell the cook to call four chair coolies.
14. The lady wants to know if you are willing to bring your child to school.
15. You must look for your pencils yourself, when you have found them come and tell me.
16. I have not found my pencils, but I have found your knife.